Friday, October 20, 2006

Notice that like Pale Male, she has chosen a spot to sleep in which a branch angles over her head.

Gray Catbird plucking Sawtooth Ivy berries Photo: Donegal Browne

This Catbird would land in one of the nearby trees, fly to the wall, grip the vine, pluck the berry, then fly back to land with the berry in her beak on a thick branch of a London Plane before swallowing it. Then repeat the process.

Stillness in the peach tree Photo: Donegal Browne

Photo: Donegal BrowneI've most often seen Ovenbirds on the ground going about their business so I'm not sure what this particular bird was doing . Either she became aware of me and froze for about 30 seconds or there was something extremely interesting above her head.

A bird I didn't "catch", was a beautiful female Ruby-crowned Kinglet that landed on the ground just a few feet in front of me . Gave me a steady tantalizing looked and then was off.